Computers are like cars...you get guys that swear by one way and others that swear by a totally different school of thought. Some guys like using Partition Magic...I just assume a complete format and reinstall. It actually forces me to get rid of a lot of the shit on my hard drive that accumulates over time. And, it's always nice and refreshing to have a clean Windows install every once in awhile.

As for the swap file, true - it doesn't get fragmented, but try telling that to the many people who've argued with me that it does. I just concede and give them that "fact"

sigh. If you allow Windows to dynamically allocate the swap file, there is a very good chance it will fragment under heavy use. Only if you set it to a static size (not a good idea, IMO) it will not fragment.

But if you're current 'green patch' is X big, and Windows needs X+1 of swap tomorrow there is no guarantee there it will expand on the end of that, or that the location is even available. So fragmentation is certainly likely.

Now the real life application of this is that people rarely max out the swap file (then again the default is enormous if I remember right) -- but there is no reason why it couldn't fragment -- but I think that's why you folks are reporting not seeing fragmentation.

I know some people who tweak their machines to the nth degree, who move their swap into a wholly separate partition into the first area on the disk, and then create the bootable partition with the OS after that, and then create the partitions for applications and/or data. This allows for speedier access to the swap and more or less eliminates the possibility of the swap fragmenting.

sigh. If you allow Windows to dynamically allocate the swap file, there is a very good chance it will fragment under heavy use. Only if you set it to a static size (not a good idea, IMO) it will not fragment.

But if you're current 'green patch' is X big, and Windows needs X+1 of swap tomorrow there is no guarantee there it will expand on the end of that, or that the location is even available. So fragmentation is certainly likely.

Now the real life application of this is that people rarely max out the swap file (then again the default is enormous if I remember right) -- but there is no reason why it couldn't fragment -- but I think that's why you folks are reporting not seeing fragmentation.

I know some people who tweak their machines to the nth degree, who move their swap into a wholly separate partition into the first area on the disk, and then create the bootable partition with the OS after that, and then create the partitions for applications and/or data. This allows for speedier access to the swap and more or less eliminates the possibility of the swap fragmenting.

Technically, you have a point and "got" me, but the swap file is only "temporary" storage and any fragmentation of data that occurs within the confined space on the hard drive that it occupies is negligible because the data it stores is indeed dynamic.

Before this goes any further, I'm going to stop right here because you seem to know what you're talking about too and I think in the end we'll probably end up "agreeing".

So, i'm totally new to this whole situation. am i able to download some phat dvds here? i have to say i've never heard about this bit torrent thing what is it? i's lost can anybody halp a brother out?

Since you're totally new to it, I won't post links but rather suggest that you read the complete FAQ from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. I know there's a lot, but there's no sense in repeating it all here. You'll also learn about other ways to trade in the FAQ.

If after reading it you have any further questions, please feel free to open a topic of your own to ask questions. It's more likely your questions will get noticed that way